Tag forming tool



Dec. 4, 1951 l.. c. HAUER TAG FORMING TOOL Filed #July 12, 1947 Patented Dec. 4, 1.951

Arm* trice TAG-FORMING Toor.

Leon C. Hauer, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to M. E. Cunningham Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 12, 1947, Serial No. 760,551

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates toa tool for preparing strip-type identication tags and the like for attachment to objects to which it is desired to afx such tags. While not necessarily so limited in its use, it is a particular obect ofthe invention 'to provide a tool of the aforementioned character for so preparing an identifiaction tag that it can be readily aXed to a hammer or similar instrument for attaching the tag to an intended object and also forv fitting a tack or other similar means in the tag Vfor use in attaching the tag to the object it is used to mark.

The various other objects, as well as the various other novel features and advantages f the invention, will be apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. With reference to these drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a tool -constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the tool shown in Fig. l taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1. Fig.,3 is also a sectional View of the tool shown in Fig.

1, taken along the lines III- III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 v

is a perspective view of a strip-type tag illustrating how it is formed by the use of the tool and showing a tack positioned in the tag through the operationof the tool, and Fig. 5 an end view of a hammer equipped with retainers for use in applying tags formed in accordance with this invention. Y

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I designates a plate formed of steel or the like which functions as a base for the tool yand the numeral 2 a vertically projecting support which is welded or otherwise secured at its lower end to this base plate I. On the upper face of the base plate l a housing element l is arranged which is suitably secured to the base plate I by welding or other means and provided in its center with a round opening 5 extending throughout its length from top to bottom. In this opening 5 a wearing sleeve 5 is tted which surrounds a round guide and tack-supporting element 8.

While it may be otherwise held in place, this 'tack-supporting element as here shown is secured to the base I by threads 9 engaged in a threading opening II provided in the base plate I for such purpose. Outside of the guide or tacksupporting element 3 and disposed to move up and down vertically with respect thereto a tubular element i2 is provided which has an outside diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the wear sleeve G. This tubular element i2 has a length which is somewhat less thanthe length of the guide and tack-supporting element and at its lower end it is provided with an enlarged bore I3 which just ts over an enlarged section I4 provided on the lower end of the guide and tack-supporting element 8. Between the upper end of the bore I3 in the sleeve element I2 and the shoulder provided at the top of the enlarged section Eli of the guide and tack-supporting element 8 a helical spring i5 is arranged. The objectof this spring is to normally bias the sleeve element I 2 upwardly with respect to the base I. i

Attached to the upper end of the sleeve I2 is a platen IS which has an opening Il in the center thereof located in concentric alignment with the bore I3 in the sleeve I2. This platen it is adapted to function as a support for a tag as indicated at I8. For locating the tag centrally with respect to the platen I6, a U-shaped guide 3 is attached to the central portion of the support 2. As will be readily appreciated, this latter guide may be detachably held in place if desired by screws I9 to permit tags of different sizes being prepared in the tool.

suitably spaced above the platen I6 a forming l' element assembly is arranged which is designated generally by the numeral 20. v'Ihis assembly consists 'of a housing element 2| which is secured to the front of the upright support 2 by screws or welding (not shown) and is provided with a vertical opening 22 therethrough which extends from the top to the bottom in axial alignment with the opening in the lower housing element 4. Within this opening 22 a suitable wearing sleeve 23 is located and inside the latter is fitted a plunger 2d. To the lower end of the latter there is secured a forming tool 25 which is employed to engage a tag such as i8 on the platen It when the plunger is depressed.

In the center of the forming tool 25 an opening 25 is provided in concentric alignment with the bore il in the platen I6, but of somewhat smaller diameter. At the upper end of the plunger 2li a head 2l is provided for the operators use in depressing the forming tool 25. To normally bias the plunger 2d to its uppermost position a coil spring l28 is provided which is positioned in a bore 29 formed in the plunger. The upper end of the spring 2S bears against the upper end of the bore 29 and its lower end engages a pin 38 which is fitted in an opening 3l extending through the housing 2i, the sleeve 23, and an elongate slot 32 in the plunger 24.

To perform its intended function the forming element 25 is provided at its two side edges with outwardly inclined tapered projections 33 which are adapted to just t over the outer side walls of the platen I6 and bend a tag such as I8 located on the platen I6 downwardly along the side edges of the platen as the forming element 24 is forced against the platen.

The principal purposes of this device are to secure a tack in an identification tag for attaching the tag to an object to which it is desired to have the tag affixed and to shape the tag so that it can be readily held to a tool employed for attaching the tag to the article to be marked as o shown in Fig. 5. In the operation of the tool a tack 3'I is placed in the bore I'I of the platen I6 with its head resting on the top of the guide or tack-supporting element orV pedestal 8 and its pointed end projecting upwardly. The tack-supporting element 8 is made with a length relative to the proportions of the sleeve I2 and the platen I 6 such that when the platen is in its upper position, the upper end of the tack lies below the upper surface of the platen.

With the tack in position a tag I8 is placed in the guide 3 on top of the platen I8 and the forming element 25 forced downwardly by the plunger 24. As the plunger element moves against the tag, the anges 33 on the sides thereof cause the tag to be bent downwardly along the lateral edges of the platen and as the movement continues, the platen I6 and tag I8 are forced down with the sleeve I2 moving against theresistance of the coil spring I5. In this movement the tack 31 is forced upwardly through the tag and projected through the opening 26 in thecenter of the forming element 25. When the stroke is completed, the plunger is released and through the operation of the springs I and 28 the platen is returned to its upper position and the forming element 25 and plunger 23 retracted to their inoperative position. The tag may then be removed and the operation repeated.

Referring to Fig. 5, a hammer 35 for attaching the tags I8 is provided with clips 36 along the sides of its head and the downwardly bent sides 34 of a tag formed in accordance with the shape shown in Fig. 4 are engaged in these clips 36 with the tack 31 projecting outwardly so that by striking the tack into the object to be marked, the tag can be quickly and easily attached to the object.

Through the use of a proper tack or nail it is possible to use tags of this character to secure marking tags to various types of objects even including objects formed of steel.

The advantages of a device constructed in accordance with this invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and obviously the shape and details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in the appended claim.

Iclaim:

A tool for preparing identication tags for attachment to objects to be marked comprising a base housing, a tack-supporting element located in a bore in said housing, a platen provided with an internal bore to receive said tack-supporting elementv and mounted for movement axially of said element where it also functions as a guide for a tack mounted on said supporting element, means yieldably biasing said platen to a position with its upper surface somewhat above the top of the tack-supporting element, a tag-forming element arranged above said platen and provided with downwardly extending projections along two of its lateral edges for bending downwardly the edges of a tag resting on said platen when the forming element is moved against the platen, a support for said forming element, a plunger to which said forming element is attached mounted in said latter support, and by means of which the forming element is adapted to move against the platen, and means yieldably urging said plunger away from said platen.

LEON C. HAUER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 9,803 Heyl July 12, 1881 1,254,955 Witherell Jan. 29, 1918 1,283,063 Bump Oct. 29, 1918 1,306,920 Miller June 17, 1919 1,523,359 Leggett Jan. 13, 1925 1,643,028 Morlan Sept. 20, 1927 1,879,835 Wollny Sept. 27, 1932 

